News

Lansing Area Origami Brain Injury Rehab Center Begins Treatment of Local Military Veteran Under New National Pilot Program
September 9, 2011

Origami, One of Only Twenty-One Facilities Nationwide Chosen by the Veterans Administration, Honored to Care for Injured Heroes

LANSING—Mid-Michigan’s Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center today announced that they have begun full-time residential treatment of the first local veteran accepted at the facility as part of a groundbreaking new Assisted Living for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot Program recently launched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.). Origami was one of only twenty-one facilities in the entire country chosen to participate in the V.A.’s pilot program.

The pilot program, the first of its kind for the V.A., helps veterans with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries who need long-term residential care by placing them in high-quality rehabilitation facilities like Origami that are closer to their homes and families, while avoiding institutional and hospital settings.  Before the pilot program, veterans with brain injuries would have to obtain treatment far from home at a V.A. facility.  Now, through treatment facilities like Origami, veterans are provided with more comfortable settings while still receiving access to a wide range of post-acute services and supports that will help them on the road to recovery.

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Fenn (United States Air Force, Retired), a Kalamazoo resident, recently became the first veteran to receive full-time residential rehabilitation care at Origami.  Lt. Col. Fenn, a veteran who helped protect the nation for two decades including deployments to the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, suffered a life-changing traumatic brain injury last year when he fell eight feet onto a concrete floor. 

 “I know that my husband is in the best place possible as he recovers from his traumatic brain injury,” said Lt. Col. Fenn’s wife, Glyni Fenn.  “We are incredibly thankful to have Bill so close to home during the rehabilitation process and for the V.A. and the great people at Origami who have dedicated their lives to helping people like us put our lives back together.” 

 Origami’s Director of Rehabilitation Services Tammy Hannah, OTRL, CBIS said: “It was an honor to be chosen to participate in this pilot program but the real honor is having the opportunity to work with heroes from our armed forces like Bill.  He and Glyni sacrificed so much as he defended our nation and our freedom for twenty years.  Everyone at Origami is excited about the chance to give something back by helping him recover from this traumatic brain injury.”

To learn more about participation in the V.A.’s pilot program at Origami, veterans or their families can call (517) 455-0264

Origami One of 21 Facilities Nationwide to Serve Veterans with TBI
September 9, 2011

Alaiedon Township brain rehab facility to treat local veterans

Written by:
Kevin Grasha
Lansing State Journal

August 11, 2011

A local brain injury rehabilitation facility is one of 21 nationwide selected to treat veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury, currently considered the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center in Alaiedon Township announced this week that it will work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat veterans who suffer from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which typically requires intensive, long-term care. More.

For more information about Veterans Services at Origami, please click here.

2010 Annual Award Recipients
December 20, 2010
2010 Award Winners (left to right): David Trudell - Operations Team Member of the Year, Cassie Ledger - Residential Serivce Award the Year, Kara Seehase - Employee of the Year, Arika Hill - Madhav Kulkarni Award of Clinical Excellence

Origami Achieved 3 Year CARF Accreditation
November 3, 2010

Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Survey Results - 2010

Origami Achieved 3 Year Accreditation in:

  • Residential Rehabilitation Programs: Brain Injury Program (Adults)
  • Interdisciplinary Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs: Brain Injury Program (Adults)
  • Interdisciplinary Outpatient Medical Rehabilitation Programs: Brain Injury Program (Children & Adolescents)
  • Home and Community Based Programs: Brain Injury Program (Adults)
  • Vocational Services: Brain Injury Program (Adults)

Comments From CARF Survey - 2010

Origami has strengths in the following areas:

  • Origami is located on a beautiful property that provides a variety of well-maintained outdoor spaces, including a courtyard, a deck, and extensive walking trails, that provide excellent settings for leisure pursuits as well as a calming environment for persons with behavioral issues such as agitation, aggression, and poor frustration tolerance related to their brain injuries.
  • The organization is led by an experienced and respected team that values its employees and the persons served. The staff is enthusiastic, qualified, and highly committed to providing optimum rehabilitation services.
  • Dignity and respect are accorded to all persons served and staff members. Quality of life is at the forefront of all treatment for persons served. This is consistently demonstrated in the interactions between staff members and the persons served.
  • Effective Communication among staff members and the operational leadership cultivates a well-informed and motivated staff. Evidence of communication and the activities of the programs are reaffirmed by staff members.
  • An excellent and well-deserved reputation for the provision of quality rehabilitation services is enjoyed by the organization. This is reflected in the tributes paid to the organization by the persons served, families, and external stakeholders.
  • The technology program is comprehensive, supporting not only staff members' needs but needs of the persons served. The organization is quickly moving to a completely electronic medical record. All aspects of the business functions are currently addressed or are considered in future programming.
  • The program and rehabilitation directors are experienced and motivated to provide services that optimize outcomes for persons served in each program.
  • The organization is commended on the comprehensive 2009 White Paper developed to address the future needs of the organization.
  • Origami's residential and supported independent facilities are aesthetically pleasing, carefully maintained, and well designed. The needs of the persons served clearly were the driving force in decision about the recent redesign of the residential program. Feedback from persons served and living skills staff was actively pursued, and suggestions were implemented.
  • The continuum of vocational services is designed to help persons served choose, obtain, and maintain meaningful employment in both supportive and competitive settings.
  • Origami's affiliation with Peckham, Inc., provides the opportunity for persons served to engage in a wide array of work opportunities in a realistic industrial environment. Peckham is a nonprofit organization that provides job training and competitive employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Regarding the affiliation with Origami, Peckham is creatively associated with the Michigan State University Health Team.
  • Staff members are actively engaged in the treatment process, and they create a casual, upbeat, and caring environment.
  • The family support system is well integrated into the outpatient rehabilitation program. Families are encouraged to attend therapy, have frequent contact with care coordinators, and be involved in regular team conferences.
  • Origami does an excellent job of providing opportunities for persons served to express themselves and share their talent. Self-expression activities are encouraged and regularly incorporated into the rehabilitation program. These include speech night, Art from the Heart, and a book of poetry authored by a person served.
  • The driving program at Origami utilizes a realistic but safe series of internal trails and a custom vehicle to evaluate and train driving skills.
  • Origami has added a culinary specialist to the residential team. This addition has enhanced provision of high quality meals and the ability to meet specific dietary requirements related to health needs, religious practices, and personal preferences.